custom molly

Whoa. That felt so weird to write “part 14” up there! This is quite long, isn’t it? 😉

Ready for some heartbreak? Good, good. Then here we go….

After being knocked out and dragged mercilessly to the dungeon, I found myself half wishing Liesel would come down and half wishing she wouldn’t.

Oh, Liesel…. Ever since our talk in the field, I thought of her more than ever. I longed to be with her, but knew I had to get used to us being apart. She was a married woman, after all, and I had to respect that.

“Enjoying your stay?” A familiar voice said that snapped me out of my thoughts. Jeremiah. I looked and saw him staring at me intently, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“What do you want?” I inquired with disgust.

“To offer you a choice. Either you confess to the world that you killed Liesel’s father and stay in the dungeon for eternity, or I kill you. The choice is yours.” Jeremiah said, his voice hoarse.

“I choose…. To confess. To confess that I am the witness and that you had her father killed. And even more than that, I’ll tell them all about your secret gambling establishment in the next kingdom, hidden deep under the ground. And all you hold dear will be taken from you – your life.” I growled.

Jeremiah pulled out his sword and pointed it towards me. “You’d better watch what you say, Edmund. You have one last chance. Now what do you choose?!” He bellowed.

I stumbled to get up and stepped closer to him and said, “I choose vengeance.”

Jeremiah placed his sword under my chin and stared at me with gritted teeth. “I know you want to kill me, so why don’t you?” I asked, testing his courage. “I think you’re afraid, you’re afraid to kill someone yourself. That’s why you had Frederic do your dirty work for you, isn’t it?”

“Stop!” Liesel yelled as she rushed in. Surely the sight of her husband pointing a sword at her old beau was an awkward sight.

“Jeremiah, what’s going on? Why is Edmund locked up?” She inquired.

“He blames me for murdering your father! If this gets out, I could be murdered myself! He’s a scoundrel!” Jeremiah growled.

I saw the shock in Liesel’s eyes, though she was trying to hide it. “A moment alone please, Jeremiah.” Liesel requested and he stomped off.

“Edmund, is what Jeremiah said true? You think he killed my father?” She asked.

“Liesel, I know this must be hard for you to comprehend, but you have to believe me. Jeremiah had him killed!” I insisted.

“Oh, Edmund…” She turned her head away and became silent. “Liesel, it’s true.” I said.

She closed her eyes and stood completely still. I could tell she was trying not to cry, I had seen her do this before.

“Why would he have my father killed?” She asked after a moment of silence.

“Because he owed him money that he couldn’t pay. Jeremiah owns a secret gambling establishment that your father used to go to. It’s where he lost everything and why you and your mother had to move away in order to escape the debts.” I explained and I saw a tear trickle down her cheek.

“Edmund.” She said as she reached her hand through the bars. I leaned closer and she placed her fingers on my cheek. “Edmund I want to believe you. But I can’t.” She said, her voice cracking.

I instantly backed away and looked at her in shock. “Why don’t you believe me? Do you really trust Jeremiah, a man you barely know, more than me?”

“It just seems kind of funny to me that you suddenly show up shortly after I marry him, ask my forgiveness, and then accuse Jeremiah of murdering my father. It’s like you’re trying to break us apart. Like you’re trying to win me back. But that can’t happen, Edmund. I made a vow and I intend to keep it.”

Tears began to blur my vision. I turned away and whispered, “Leave me.” And she left.

How could she accuse me of such a thing? Her words stung me. It was a pain unlike any I had felt before. She didn’t trust me anymore. And now I didn’t know where my fate lied….